Timepiece.



C. V. DUYLE.

TIMEPIECE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. H. [915.

Patented Nov. 14, 1916.

C. V. DOYLE.

TIMEPIECE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. H. 1915.

Patented Nov. 141, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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CLARENCE V. DOYLE, OF NEW YORK, IN. I, ASSIG-NOR, BY DIRECT AND IVIESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, OF SEVEN THIRTY-SECONDS TO CHARLES VT. MOFFITT, 0F ISLEP, NEWV YORK, SEVEN THIRTY-.SEC'SNDS TO HARRY A HAIQ'IGAN, 0. 1 REV] [9335, N. Y.,

AND FGUR THIRTY-SECONDS TO 8'. BYRGN CEEAMEE, OF ISLIP, NEW YORK.

TIMEPIECE.

Application filed March 11, 1915.

To all whom it may concern Be itknown that I, Cnanmrcn V. DOYLE, a citizen of the United States, and resident of New York city, borough of Manhattan, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Timepieces, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide simple and efficient means to automatically regulate the speed of time pieces, or in other words, to automatically move or adjust the regulator for the balance wheel or escapement if the time piece. or movement tends to run fast or slow.

I have illustrated my improvements as applied in conjunction with a spring-driven clock movement having a hair spring coaetwith the balance wheel, with means intermediate the regulator for the hair spring and a rotary member of the movement, such as the main spring winding arbor, for causing movement of said regulator according to whether the movement tends to run fast or slow at any period after the main spring ias been wound.

In the particular embodiment of my invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings I have shown the main spring arbor as provided with a helically threaded cone-like enlargement or piece coact-ing with an arm or lever carried by the movement, and operatively connected with said regulator, the parts being so arranged that as the main spring arbor and said threaded enlargement rotate, said arm will be moved to actuate the regulator in such manner that if the time piece tends to run fast for the first period of, say, three days after being wound, the regulator will be correspondingly moved in a direction to cause the time piece to run relatively slower, and if the time piece tends to run slow during or after, say, the fourth day after being wound, the regulator ill be automatically moved to cause the time piece to run proportionately faster, whereby the time of the clock will be automatically regulated to a substantially constant speed or equal. daily time indication during its period of winding.

My invention is particularly applicable to so-called eight-day or twelve-day clocks, whose main springs frequently exert more Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 14, 1916.

Serial No. 13,585.

pressure than is necessary when first wound, and an inadequate amount of pressure after running for seve 'al days, causing a varia tion 111 correct running during the period for which the clock is wound, my improvements serving to correct or reduce such variations.

My invention also comprises novel details of improvementand combinations of parts that will be more fully hereinafter set forth and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein,

Figure l is a partly broken face view of a spring-driven clock movement embodying my invention; Fig. 2' is an enlarged section substantially on the line 2, 2, in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a plan view of Fig. 2, parts being omitted; Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view of 43 T l v 4. 1 pait or Fig. i, snowing the arm 9 in a ditferent position, Fig. 5 is a plan view of F d; Fig. 6 is a detail view looking from the loft in Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional view illustrating means for moving the regulator in one or another direc tion while the actuator moves in one direction, and Fig. 8 is a partly sectional detail view, eniarged, of part. of Fig. 7.

fl'milar numerals of reference indicate cor esponding parts in the several views;

T he time piece or clock movement, indi cated generally at 1. may be of any suitable construction adapted to be used in conjunction with my improvements, 2 indicating the main spring, 3 its winding arbor, i the balance wheel, the hair spring coact-ing therevith. and (3 the regulator for the hair spring having connection with the latter at 7 in a usual manner.

At 9 is an arm or lever pivotally airried by the frame of the movement, as at 10, and adapted to coact with the regulator 6.

At- 8 is a piece adapted to actuate arm 9. Said piece 8 is shown in the form of an enlargement secured upon arbor 3, although said piece may be secured to or formed on and operated by any desired member of the movement. Said enlargement 8 is shown provided with a helical thread 8. 'Vhile I have shown the enlargement S as substantially in cone-like form, with the helical thread 8 upon its periphery, it will be understood hat the form and shape of the a joint at 9, whereby the portion 9" of said arm may rock in and out or relatively to the axis of enlargement 8 as the latter rotates,

'ter back and forth.

while the part 9 of said arm may maintain a substantially relative position with respect to regu ator 6 at all times, although the entire arm may rock if desired as it moves along enlargement 8. The part 9 of said arm is suitably connected with regulator G, for which purpose 1 have shown the part 9" provided with spaced pins 11 receiving a portion of the regulator for mo ing the lat- A. suitable spring 12 connected with the arm, or lever and with the frame of the movement serves to maintain the arm 9 in relative position with re spect to enlargement S. In or ler to reduce friction between the parts 8 and 9, I have shown the latter part as provided with a projection 14: having a reduced or pointed end at lea) coact with the thread 8 of enlargement 8 to'readily traverse the said hread. To provide for adjustment of arm 9 with respect to enlargement or piece 8, and thereby to cause desired initial setting or adjustment'of re later 0 with respect to enlargement 8, l, have shown the projection H as adj ustably carried by arm 9, for which purpose said projection 14 is shown slidably supported in recess 15 in said arm and provided with a threaded stem 16 projecting through said and having a threaded nut 1'? coacting withsaid arm, a spring 18 interposed between a'r1n9 and projection let tend- 'ing normally to maintain therset relation of said parts.

Any suitable means may be provided, however, for retaining projection in set position on arm 9. V

In the following example it will be as sumed that the main spring 2 is of such character that, when it is wound, the movement would run three minutes fast the first day, two minutes fast the second day, one minute fast the third day, at normal speed the fourth day, one minute slow the fifth day, two minutes slow the sixth day, and three minutes slow the seventh day. The variation of speed having been ascertained, the projection it will be set with respect to arm 9 and enlargement S in such manner as to cause the regulator 6 to be initially set a suitable distance to one side of the dividing line between .Fast and Slow,

spring is'wound and the spirally threaded enlargement 8 rotates with the key, the projection let, following the spiral thread 8, will advance toward the outer portion of come or to reduce the three minutes fast speed that the movement otherwise would tend to indicate, the regulator 6 being gradually moved to the left in Fig. 1 by reason of the rotation of the enlargement 8, since its thread 8 tends to cause the arm 9 to move laterally owing to the increasing diameter of enlargement or actuator 8 over which theprojection 1% travels as the thread 8* causes arm to advance toward the move ment; during the second day the same action occurs tending to overcome the aforesaid two minutes fast that the movement would otherwise run, icausingthe regulator to move toward the left in Fig. 1 an appropriate amount, and a corr-espbnding action. occurs during the third day, whereupon the regulator is gradually brought toward the normal or required position at which time the prime mover or spring 2, in the example given, would normally cause the clock to and seventh days after the aforesaid winding, advancing the regulator 6 toward Fast in proportion to cause the move ment to run faster than otherwise would be effected by the gradually decreasing pres- 7 sure of the main spring. At the latter time t 1e projection 14; will be adjacent to the inner or larger portion of arm actuator or enlargement 8, substantially. as indicated in 'nig. 2. By reason of the oint in arm 9, at

9, the portion 9 thereof may move toward and from the movement without interfering with the action of the portion 9 with re 'spect to regulator 6, while at the same time theportionf) may be rocked on pivot 10 by the portion 9 of such arm or lever. 7' V 7 It will be understood that when themove ment ordinarily wouldrun slow, as toward the end of the weelgthe tooth or projection lg'having reached the bottom of the thread 8*, where the diameter of enlargement 8 is greatest, the V regulator will be slightly nearer to Fast than to Slow, thus overcoming the tendency of the movement to run slow. It will be understood, of course,

that the movement of the regulator will be 7 ually reduced pressure of the main, spring,"

whereby the reduction of pressure of the gradual and will correspond with tne gradf main spring is utilized to cause the hair spring to increase the speec of the balance wheel, and vice versa. When the main is rewound by the hey, the correspo ding rotation of actua' or enlargeh the man soring arbor causes ment 8 wit the projection or tooth l t to travel outwardl toward the least transverse diameter of enlargement 8. A the outer end of actuator or enlargement 8 I have shown the thread 8* continued in an annular manner at 8*, and at the inner or lar er portion of enlargement 8 l have shown the thread 8 also continued in an annular manner at S", \vher by it the spring 2 be overwound the projection or tooth 1% may continue to travel in the annular channel 8*, and, lilre wise, it the 01001: should continue to run beyond the allotted time for action of the enlar 'ement 8 the projection or tooth 1lwould continue to travel in the annular groove 8, without injurious efi'ect in either case.

By means of my improvements it will be possible to provide etlicient means for causing time piece movements to run more accurately than with mere dependence upon their prime mover, such as a main spring, and my invention is particularly applical)l to the class of relatively cheap timeiece movements in which the main springs cannot be so accurately tempered and adjusted as to maintain even running of the clock for several consecutive lays for one winding.

If it be found that a given prime mover or main spring does not vary in accordance with the example hereinbetore given, then in such case the working surface oi enlargement 8 may be shaped to accord with the non-variation or the variation of spring pressure according to the days succeeding the day on which the t'me piece is wound, as, for instance, it the time piece were found to run two mii for each or the first and second days, and then one minute -ist for the third day after winding, or corropondingly slow for any or" the days after the intermediate day or a series of days, then the contour otthe enlargement 8 can be shaped accordingly, to cause the arm 9 to move the regulator 6 in the desired proportion. Means tor such purpose are shown in Figs. 7 8, wherein some or" the threads 8 of actuator 8 deeper than others, whereby as the actuator rotates in one direction the arm 9 will move inwardly to o the regulator to move in one direction, 7 arm 9 will move outwardly to cause the regulator to move in another direction, according to the position of the projection 1% in connection with the threads 8 of the regulator. Where the spring has nonvariation for a period of time, say for a day or two during a weelrs running, the

shaped accordingly to retrom movement, as illus- (.esired distance.

it will ti or non-variation of the prime mover or spring 2, for dilt'erent days or periods or" the regulation of the running of the Miepi ce may be automatically controlled t accord with such variation or non-variation or the prime mover or spring to reguit to the timepiece.

l fhile l have illustrated and described a tioular embodiment of my invention, it l he understood that the same is not ted to the details of construction and arrangements of parts set forth, as the same v.-.ried, *ithin the scope of the appendec. claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

riaving now described my invention what 1 claim is:

A time piece hav'ng a prime mover, a nibe: connected therewith to be rotated at and to be rotated by said prime mover, 'ogulator, and means (OflCtliljJ with said oer and regulator to more the latter time piece having a prime mover, a member connected theLew1th to be rotated said prime r, a i, an a an coac x\"e with egud member having an acsaid arm provided with dilierent diamet rs and having a helical d to coact with said arm to cause the to traverse said actuator according o the direction of rotation of said member. 3. f1 tii e piece having a prime mover, a member connected therewith to he rotated at will and to be rotated by said prime mover, a regulator, an arm coactive with said regulator, said member being provided with a helical thread of varying diameter, whereby said arm may be rocked and moved relatively to the axis of said member for moving said regulator in one direction or another according to the direction of rotation of said member.

l A. ime piece having a prime mover, a winding arbor the efor provided with an actuator having a cone-like surface provided w sh a helical th ead thereon, an arm coactive 'l actuator and having a part operative with said thread, and a regulator coactiv wit 1 said arm.

A. time piece having a main spring, a mg arbor therefor, a balance wheel, a hair spring therefor, a regulator for the hair spring, an arm coactive with the regulator, said arm having a joint, and a threaded actuator operative with said arbor and coactive with said arm for moving the regulator iator ti'or as said arbor rotates, said joint permitting the arm to move laterally along the actuator.

6'. A time piece having a prime mover, a. winding arbor therefor, a threaded actuator operative with said arbor, an arm pivotally carried by the movement to coact with said actuator, said arm having a joint between said pivot and actuator, and a regulator coactive with said arm, said joint permitting the arm to move laterally along the actuator.

7. A time piece having a movable member provided with an actuator having a helical cone-like thread, an arm provided with a projection to coact with said thread, means to adjustably support said projection on said arm, and a regulator coactive with said arm.

8. A time piece having a movable member provided with an actuator having a helical cone-like thread, an arm having a recess, a projection movably supported in said recess to coact with said actuator, means to retain said projection in set position, and regulator coactive with said arm.

9. A timepiece having a movable member, an actuator operated thereby, said actuator having a helical thread and annular threads communicating therewith, a regulator, and means coactive with said actuator and regulator for actuating the latter by the former.

10. A timepiece having a movable'memher, an actuator operated thereby, said actuator having a helical cone-like thread and annular threads at opposite ends of said helical thread and communicating therewith, a regulator, and means coactive with said actuator and regulator for actuating the latter by the former.

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York, and State of New York, this 10th day of March, A. D. 1915.

CLARENCE V. DOYLE. ll itnesses r T. F. BOURNE, V

lVlARIE F. VVAINmcI-rr.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

